The hunt for high-quality Chinese carryout continues. At Mr. Chan Szechuan Restaurant in the heart of Pikesville, we discovered nothing spectacular but found several solid dishes and an admirable sampling of vegetarian fare.
Mr. Chan occupies a corner space on Reisterstown Road, its facade illuminated with yards of neon, including one sign depicting a jumping fish. Inside is a cozy space with green carpet, bamboo plants and mirrors on both ends to give the room more depth. Posters explaining the various types of sushi hang on two walls.
The waiting area consists of six chairs in a cramped hallway. But our order was ready in only a few minutes, and the staff was exceedingly nice.
We focused on Chinese dishes, skipping the wide-ranging sushi menu and teriyaki offerings.
For appetizers, the won-ton soup ($1.50) was familiar. The steamed dumplings ($3.50 for seven) were big and filled with nicely spiced meat. A pleasant surprise was the grilled tofu ($3.95), which had a tasty grilled flavor and a hint of lemon.
For entrees, the pork fried rice ($4.75) had bits of egg and was a fine version of this standard dish. The chicken and garlic sauce ($5.75) was better -- both sweet and garlicky and loaded with snow peas, mushrooms and red pepper. The kung pao shrimp ($6.95) had a good serving of medium-sized shrimp, with a huge scoop of salty peanuts, in a tasty dark sauce.
We also tried a couple of Mr. Chan's many vegetable dishes. The yuba in black-bean sauce ($8.95) included a monster serving of yuba, the skin created in the tofu-making process. Vegetables and the well-done sauce helped the dish overcome the blandness of its main ingredient. And the vegetarian hot wok ($9.95) brought together more yuba, seitan (a wheat product), peas, mushrooms and other vegetables in a flavorful medley.
As with many Chinese restaurants, Mr. Chan appears reluctant to over-spice its food for fear of alienating customers. Even the dishes labeled "spicy" on the menu were not particularly hot. Don't be bashful about asking the staff to spice things up in the kitchen.
Mr. Chan had no desserts on the menu; the fortune cookies were adequate.
Mr. Chan Szechuan Restaurant
Food: ***
Service: ****
Waiting area: **
Parking: **
Where: 1000 Reisterstown Road, Pikesville
Phone: 410-484-1100
Fax: 410-653-3149
Hours: 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 10:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday; 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday; noon to 10 p.m. Sunday
Prices: Chinese entrees from $4.75 to $13.95; sushi dinner combos from $9.95 to $17.95; credit cards accepted